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Taiwan Reports Second Day Of Chinese Air Incursion; Brazilian Protesters Demand Impeachment Of President Bolsonaro; Global COVID-19 Death Toll Nearing Five Million; High Vaccination Rates Take Portugal From Worst To First; Asia Ramps Up Vaccination Programs; U.K. Fuel Crisis. Aired 2-2:30a ET
Aired October 03, 2021 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. Appreciate your company. I'm Michael Holmes.
Coming up on the program, a show of force by China. The program, a show of force by China. Sending a record number of military planes into Taiwan's air defense zone.
Fed up and calling for change, Brazilians take to the streets to demand the impeachment of Jair Bolsonaro.
And, looking for a return to normal, Asia ramps up vaccinations, even surpassing the U.S. in many Asian countries.
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HOLMES: A showdown in the skies, heightening tensions between China, and Taiwan. The Taiwanese defense ministry, reporting, the largest incursion by the Chinese air force, for the second day in a row.
The self-governing island says more than 3 dozen military aircraft, entered its air defense identification, zone on both, Friday and Saturday. China, yet to comment. CNN's Will Ripley, following for us from Taipei.
Clearly, intimidation, Will.
What does Taiwan think of this?
What is the sense of what China's aim is here?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are getting hints from Chinese state media, Michael, that this may be connected to U.S. aircraft carriers in the region and the area around the South China Sea.
But we also believe, according to the leadership here in Taiwan, this is what has continued to be an escalating pattern of intimidation, against 24 million people. A message from Beijing. The island can be taken back at it many times and Beijing using massive air force to, in the words of the government, here intimidate and scare, the people of Taiwan.
Let me show you a list of what has been in Taiwan's self-declared Air Defense Identification Zone, Friday and Saturday, alone, 77 warplanes in total, including 68 fighters, four nuclear capable fighters, three anti submarine aircraft, and two early warning aircraft. More than 6 dozen warplanes, in total, over a 48-hour period.
Truly unprecedented. What Taiwan does, they scramble their aircraft. They deploy the air defense missile systems and issue radio warnings, like this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE. (Speaking foreign language).
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RIPLEY: But it is important to know, Beijing is not violating international law here. If you pull up a map of their defense zone, it's not their airspace, which extends 12 nautical miles from the coast. It's a buffer zone, where when planes enter, they asked to identify themselves. The military is put on alert.
The flight path, here in the extreme southwest, near the Pratas Island. And, I believe we have an image of the island, really, which is an important, strategic, small island. In Taiwan, it has been for more than 70 years.
There is an airstrip that has been built there in recent years and a small number of military, as well as researchers and scientists, studying the ecology and the corals.
But the location of this island, kind of a gateway to the Taiwan strait, strategically, it is important to Taipei and its leadership.
But for Beijing, by flying planes nearby, they send a clear message they can take back that small island or take back, in their view, all of Taiwan, at any moment, if they feel the island, which has governed itself since the end of China's civil war, moves too far away from the mainland, tried to formally declare independence, something that the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, vowed he will never allow to happen.
HOLMES: As always, it just takes one miscalculation for things to go badly. Will Ripley, in Taipei. Appreciate you following this for us.
Now Brazilian protesters can't wait one year to elect a new leader. They took to the streets, on Saturday, to demand the impeachment of president Jair Bolsonaro.
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HOLMES (voice-over): Mr. Bolsonaro, under fire for his handling of the pandemic, with data showing nearly 600,000 Brazilians, dying from the virus, so far.
But these protests are about more than COVID. Left-wing parties and labor unions are among those rallying against the president, blaming him for a poor economy and accusing him of extreme abuses of power.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Our first action is for democracy. Bolsonaro has done many things against the democratic process, against institutions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is a genocidal, homophobic government.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They have no support. They are corrupt and genocidal. Out with Bolsonaro is an act of resistance, which we should all support.
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HOLMES: Stefano Pozzebon, tracking the anti-Bolsonaro protest, filing this report, from Colombia.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Demonstrators took to the streets, again. This Saturday, across Brazil, to protest the president, Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the pandemic, and his economic management.
Major marches were reported in Brazil's major cities, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and the capital, Brasilia.
According to local pollsters, Bolsonaro is facing his worst time as president, with 53 percent of Brazilians opposed to his government as well as a worrisome economic outlook.
Basic food items and gasoline prices are on the rise. Million Brazilians are unemployed. At the same time, COVID-19 is giving no respite. Brazil, edging closer to the threshold of 600,000 deaths, due to the pandemic -- for CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
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HOLMES: The announcement that the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, will retire from politics, has fueled intense speculation about who may take his place. Media reports, they are focusing on his daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, the popular mayor of Davao City.
Mr. Duterte, himself, expected to register as a candidate in next year's vice presidential election. But instead, it was his longtime aide, senator Christopher Go, who filed those papers. CNN's Selina Wang, following these developments from Tokyo.
A controversial presidency, Selina, and, an unpredictable president.
What is behind his decision?
Of course, he could change his mind, as he's done before. SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael, experts are saying, he is
realizing the tide has turned against him. He is known as this controversial strongman figure, one of the most popular presidents in Philippine history.
But that support has been waning in the pandemic and the economic fallout. Duterte is barred by the Philippine constitution for running from a second presidential term, after serving 6 years in office.
But he said, last month, he would run for vice president. But that plan was widely criticized by Filipinos, for being an attempt to maintain political power and circumvent legal action.
But in a reversal of plans, on Saturday, Duterte accompanied his longtime aide, who filed papers to run for vice president and not Duterte. The announcement of Duterte's retirement leaving the race for the presidential position, wide open. Media in the Philippines, focusing on his daughter as a potential successor.
She is the popular mayor of one of Philippines' largest cities. Manny Pacquiao, the boxing star, also announcing his own intention to run, vowing to go up against corrupt officials. Michael?
HOLMES: There is an International Criminal Court investigation into Duterte's war on drugs and the number of deaths that resulted from it.
What would be the outlook for him after he leaves office?
WANG: Some analysts say, it is critical for him to have a loyal successor, in order to, basically, shield himself from this legal action, whether at home or by an International Criminal Court. Since he took office, Duterte presided over a brutal, war on drugs, leaving thousands dead.
The International Criminal Court, authorizing a full investigation on one has a, quote, "widespread, systematic attack, against the civilian population."
But it is still possible, Duterte can maintain strong influence if his daughter or a close ally, wins the top positions. Some experts, also noting, as you alluded to earlier, that Duterte can still change his mind. He is known to make last minute U-turns.
For instance, in 2015, leading up to the presidential elections, Duterte, who was the mayor, said he was going to exit political life for good and retire. At the last minute, he joined the presidential race and won by a wide margin. Michael?
HOLMES: Interesting days ahead. Selina Wang, in Tokyo, appreciate it. Thank you.
We will take a quick break on the program. When we come back, vaccine centers sit nearly empty, all over Portugal. Now that the nation leads the world in vaccination rates. How the country got there. We discuss, when we come back. Also, many Asian nations have a slow start to their vaccine rollout.
How some are, already, exceeding some U.S. vaccination numbers. We will be right back.
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HOLMES: The global coronavirus death toll is set to soon reach a new, heartbreaking milestone. Around the world, nearly 5 million people have lost their lives to the virus, driven, of course, by the Delta variant. Experts say, the only real and viable solution to end this pandemic is, of course, for enough people to get vaccinated.
Portugal, is one country, where that is all too apparent. The nation was hit hard at the beginning of the year and reporting one of the world's worst surges. But Portugal has gone from worst to first, thanks to the highest vaccination rate on the planet. CNN's Vasco Cotovio reports.
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VASCO COTOVIO, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): Meet Vice Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo. He led Portugal's vaccination campaign and has become somewhat of a hero for the Portuguese. The country now has the highest vaccination rate of any nation.
But despite the credit he is getting, the admiral tells me "hero" is a title he feels uncomfortable with.
VICE ADM. HENRIQUE GOUVEIA E MELO, PORTUGAL VACCINATION TASK FORCE (through translator): I think that's an overstatement. Luckily, I was able to help my people, to help my country. And that fills my heart and it's good enough.
COTOVIO (voice-over): The admiral and his military unit ran the campaign from what they called their war room, facing the virus like the enemy they believe it is.
GOUVEIA (through translator): I've worn combat fatigues from day one to show people this was no joke. In less than 1.5 years we lost 18,000 people to this virus.
If this isn't a battle, what is?
COTOVIO (voice-over): The worst of that battle happened earlier in the year; when CNN visited in January, ICUs had no beds to spare. Health authorities had to move patients around to free up much-needed space and doctors told us they were forced to decide which cases to prioritize.
The German military flew in to help out. And strict restrictions to curb the spread of the disease emptied the capital Lisbon. But fast forward eight months and the situation's now completely different. Businesses are open and tourists are back.
The turnaround started in centers like this; 20-year-old Alana Silva (ph) knows all too well what it's like to get COVID-19. She recovered a few months ago and now she says it is a great comfort to get the vaccine.
ALANA SILVA (PH), COVID-19 PATIENT (through translator): Even though you can still get COVID-19, despite having had the vaccine, the symptoms will be milder. So I'm quite relieved.
COTOVIO (voice-over): She's one of only a dozen people at this vaccination center. They're mostly empty these days, because there are simply very few left to vaccinate. But for the admiral, the war's not over until the enemy is defeated on a global scale.
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GOUVEIA (through translator): We need to protect mankind. Rich countries have a moral obligation to do it. Every delay, every action we don't take, will have a boomerang effect and we will regret it in the future. It's a strategy that is both wrong and stupid.
COTOVIO (voice-over): Gouveia e Melo sees COVID as an opportunistic enemy. And until the world is vaccinated, no country, not even Portugal, can afford to fully let its guard down -- Vasco Cotovio, CNN, Lisbon.
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HOLMES: Let's take a closer look at the COVID situation in Asia. The region focused on safety measures, like mask wearing and restricting travel, when the pandemic first broke out. But many nations were slow getting their vaccine campaigns rolling.
Now vaccination rates in some Asian nations, have pulled ahead of the U.S. Look at Singapore with, more than 80 percent of people vaccinated. Malaysia and Japan also with higher rates of vaccinations. The U.S., at just over 55 percent.
For more on this, let's bring in Professor Tikki Pangestu, he is co- chair of the Asia-Pacific Immunization Coalition and an infectious disease expert. He is joining me now, from Geneva, Switzerland.
Thanks so much, Professor. As we said, early on in the pandemic, many Asia-Pacific nations weren't doing so well. But now, the region is vaccinating at great rates.
Why is that?
How did this get turned around?
DR. TIKKI PANGESTU, CO-CHAIR, ASIA-PACIFIC IMMUNIZATION COALITION: Thank, you Michael. I think there are probably 2 main reasons. The first one, in most Asian countries, there is a very strong political will, to ramp up our vaccination.
There is unity of purpose; there is good coordination in terms of rolling out the vaccine. That's the first reason.
The second reason, no less important, I think overall, compared to Europe and North America, there is less hesitancy, vaccine hesitancy, about accepting the fact that these vaccines are safe and they are effective. Those are the 2 main reasons. But there are sort of cultural reasons as well.
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HOLMES: Yes, that was my next question. Asking if there is a cultural aspect to this, more a we're in this together attitude and perhaps people being much more likely to listen to experts; notably, in the U.S.
PANGESTU: Yes, absolutely, I think that's very important. I think in most Asian countries, compared to Western democracies, there is less of this ideal of individual freedom, individual rights; I don't like the government telling me what to do.
So let's say a stronger sense of social responsibility: the community, the country comes first. That translates to the reality that, in most Asian countries, trust in government is, still, quite high. Even in countries like the Philippines, I just heard you, earlier, that, despite all of the political issues, trust in government, is still, quite high. And I think that adds to the success.
HOLMES: I was wondering, your thoughts, in some countries in the region, like Indonesia, the Philippines and others, they have big numbers of day workers who, if they don't work, they don't eat. There is less of a social safety net.
Has that been a motivating factor as well in people wanting to get vaccinated, when your next meal relies on being healthy, when lockdowns are going away?
PANGESTU: Yes, absolutely. It is much less political/social than economic. I've heard many interviews, with people, these day workers, who are part of the informal economy, we need to work. If you ask me, would I rather die of COVID or die of starvation, I would rather get the vaccine just so that I can continue to work and so that I can support my family.
HOLMES: In the U.S., there has been a ton of misinformation from right-wing media and various people in the public eye.
Is that less of a problem in the Asia Pacific region?
PANGESTU: Yes, absolutely. I think actually, that is the number one challenge, the widespread misinformation from social media. Of course, in the past, it was a problem in Asia.
But that has improved, significantly. In the early days, people were still worried about the efficacy, the safety. But overall, the latest data that I've seen, in Asia, this confidence, this hesitancy, trust in vaccines, that is approaching 90 percent overall, in Asia.
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PANGESTU: whereas, in America, I think it's just over 80 percent.
This is in contrast to Europe, where it's still actually quite low, around 70 percent. If you look at France and Russia, still, until today, a lot of resistance to vaccination.
HOLMES: Real quick, we're almost out of time, but most of the countries in the region don't manufacture their own vaccines. We have seen, in Singapore, a great vaccination rate but an uptick in cases and some restrictions coming back in.
Briefly, what are factors that could cause a backslide?
PANGESTU: I think a backslide could be, partly -- I mean, a lot of it will be due to insufficient supply. In big countries, like Indonesia, OK, with limited resources, simply, the country just doesn't have the resources to secure the vaccine.
And that's related to the bigger issue of vaccine nationalism, where the rich countries are, actually, holding vaccines, a lot more than what they need. And the COVAX facility, the multilateral initiative, is actually having problem supplying enough vaccines to the countries that need it most.
So it is both an issue of supply and insufficient resources for the lower and lower middle income countries in the region.
HOLMES: Yes, the vaccine hoarding is a real problem. Professor Tikki Pangestu, really interesting. Thank you so much for your expertise.
PANGESTU: Thank you very much, Michael.
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HOLMES: Still to come on the program, plenty of fuel, with nowhere to go. The U.K., calling in the military, to help deliver petrol, as labor shortages, from Brexit, make their toll.
Also, a stay-at-home order, lifted from parts of the Canary Islands but the, threat still not over for that erupting volcano. We have that and more, after the break.
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HOLMES: Thousands of climate activists, marching through the streets of Milan on Saturday, calling on policymakers to live up to promises they made a decade ago. Wealthy nations, pledging then, to spend $100 billion, per year, to help developing countries transition to cleaner energy. Activists say, those countries need to deliver on that pledge and, do
even more.
The British prime minister, not ruling out further relaxation of visa restrictions, for truck drivers, helping to ease a nationwide fuel crisis. One retailers group says, more than a quarter of its fuel stations remain dry, with petrol supplies coming far too slowly.
Now the government is sending out the military to help. CNN's Anna Stewart, with the latest from London.
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ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The fuel crisis, is now, in its second week. The situation, appears to be easing. That is what we are hearing, from the U.K. government. And, also industry leaders. But this recovery appears to be patchy.
GORDON BALMER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PETROL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION: We've spoken to sites in Wales, for example, in Scotland, in Northern Ireland. They say, it's a very much improved situation. Fuel is readily available. But London and the southeast have been impacted, I'm afraid, especially, at some of the BP sites and the Shell sites, around London.
However, both companies are actively working the situation and we hope that we can get some fuel back into the system, in the coming days.
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STEWART: In London, we are still seeing long queues outside of fuel stations and those are the ones that, still, have fuel. Many are actually empty.
The problem here is not a fuel shortage in the U.K., as there's plenty of it, it's just not where it needs to be. That is due to a lack of truck drivers. This is the result of the pandemic but also very much exacerbated by Brexit, which saw a mass exodus of European workers.
On Monday, the U.K. government is activating the military; 200 personnel will be taking to the roads, getting fuel from refineries and platforms to where it needs to be. The U.K. government is also issuing 5,000 temporary work visas, for foreign truck drivers.
This may help their short or medium term problem here but the worry is it doesn't address the longer term issue. It's not just a shortage of truck drivers. There are lots of labor shortages in the U.K. It is impacting other sectors, like food and drink.
So as hopefully, this fuel crisis does come to an end, in the coming days, the worry, is that there could be another crisis around the corner -- Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
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HOLMES: It's not just the fuel industry, struggling with shortages. Global supply chain issues are leading to prices soaring, across the board. In the U.S., everything from bacon, to jewelry, televisions and dresses, have seen double digit percent price jumps, over the last 13 months.
Eggs, furniture and bedding have climbed nearly 10 percent. And going for a leisurely ride costs you more, as bikes, and other sports vehicles, have jumped by nearly 8 percent, in price.
Officials have lifted a stay-at-home order for residents in La Palma, in the Canary Islands, as that volcano continues to spew lava and dash. Incredible images of that erupting volcano, still going strong, after nearly two weeks.
Officials warn, the chemical reactions of lava hitting the sea and that water, could cause toxic gases. But say the, air, for now, is safe to breathe. Lava has destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses and nearly 6,000 people been forced to evacuate. Incredible images.
Thank you for spending part of our day with me, I am Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, @HolmesCNN. "MARKETPLACE AFRICA," up next. More news in 30 minutes, with Kim Brunhuber.
